Bloemfontein – A National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) employee’s appeal against his dismissal was upheld in the Constitutional Court on Monday.

Derrick Grootboom appealed against a judgment of the Labour Appeal Court.

Grootboom was suspended on allegations of misconduct from the NPA in 2005. While on suspension he left South Africa to study in the UK for 12 months.

During this time the NPA informed him he had been discharged from the public service in terms of the Public Service Act.

The section in the act used provides for the discharge of public servants who stayed away from work for longer than one month without their employer’s permission.

Grootboom asked the Labour Court to set aside his discharge, but he lost.

The Labour Appeal Court also refused to set the discharge aside and dismissed his appeal. The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) denied him leave to appeal against the Labour Appeal Court’s decision.

Grootboom approached the Constitutional Court arguing he had not absented himself from his official duties within the meaning of the section of the act. He contended his discharge was, therefore, invalid.

Court ruling

On Monday, the court unanimously held that the requirements for Grootboom’s discharge under the section in the act had not been met.

It held that because of his suspension he had been barred from being at work and from performing any official duties.

He, therefore, did not stay away from work by himself, without his employer’s permission.

The Constitutional Court upheld the appeal with costs and declared that Grootboom had not absented himself.

He, therefore, remained in the NPA’s employ.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s preliminary report on the upgrade to President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead cannot be delayed, because she does not know who to hand it over to, the DA said on Monday.

“While we appreciate… Madonsela’s dilemma in this regard, this report cannot be delayed by the government’s disregard of accountability measures,” DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said in a statement.

“It is both in the public interest and in the interest of accountability and transparency to ensure that the full and unexpurgated report is made public.”

She said she would write to Madonsela for clarity on whether the full report would be made public.

The SABC reported on Monday that the report was “virtually finalised”.

“We have now asked government to indicate how far they are with deciding where these kinds of reports should go to. We haven’t had an answer yet,” Madonsela told the public broadcaster.

“The one issue, though, that will arise, which we have raised with the presidency… is who do we give the report to.”

‘Unusual challenge’

The presidency was expected to comment on the matter later.

Madonsela said she encountered “unusual challenges” while compiling the report into the security upgrade of President Jacob Zuma’s private homestead in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal.

Mazibuko said she would recommend to Madonsela that the report be tabled before Parliament’s public works portfolio committee.

“I will also query whether I will be receiving a provisional report, as has been the protocol followed in the past,” she said.

“Indeed in other public protector investigations requested by the DA, a provisional copy is sent to the requesting party.”

Last year, the DA said it would ask Madonsela to investigate whether Zuma’s family improperly benefited from the upgrade to his home.

Shortly before that, Zuma told Parliament that government was paying to upgrade the security at his home, but that he had taken out a bond to pay for the rest of the upgrade.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A father and son walked into a Port Elizabeth pharmacy on Monday and asked for help in committing suicide, Eastern Cape police said.

The 53-year-old man and his 19-year-old son entered the Seaview pharmacy around midday and demanded that the staff give them injections to commit suicide, police spokesperson Stanley Jarvis said.

“They gave them two injections, but these were just tranquillisers.”

After taking the medication the men allowed staff to leave the pharmacy.

“It is only the two of them who are left inside the shop,” said Jarvis.

Witnesses informed police that one of the men was carrying a gun while the other had an explosive device.

The two had not made any demands, except that police should not enter the shop.

The rest of the complex was also evacuated.

“We are trying to resolve the situation without anyone getting hurt,” said Jarvis.

It was unclear why the father and son wanted to commit suicide.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Police were searching on Monday for the men who shot and killed a forensic services director at his auditing firm’s offices in Houghton, Johannesburg, Gauteng police said.

“No one has been arrested,” police spokesperson Lungelo Dlamini said shortly after 13:00.

Asked to comment on media speculation that Lawrence Moepi could have been killed in a hit on Friday, Dlamini said: “We haven’t established a motive yet”.

It was believed that Moepi was followed to his workplace, SizweNtsalubaGobodo, by men in a Volkswagen Golf.

He was shot dead as he got out of his car. Nothing was stolen.

The Association of Public Accounts Committees of SA (Apacsa) has called for protection for its members after Moepi’s death, the Times reported on Monday.

“It is a threat to [all forensic auditors] and might lead to the industry losing quality auditors because they fear for their lives,” chair Sipho Makama was quoted as saying.

According to reports Moepi was involved in various investigations.

In a statement on its website, SizweNtsalubaGobodo said Moepi had worked closely with the police’s commercial crime unit and the now defunct Directorate of Special Operations, known as the Scorpions.

In his capacity as PricewaterhouseCoopers forensic services director Moepi testified in the fraud trial of former Scorpions official Geoffrey Ledwaba.

Probing arms deal

Business Day Live reported that he had been appointed to work on the probe into the country’s multi-billion rand arms deal.

The Sunday Independent reported that Moepi was an integral part of the team investigating the sale of the Cosatu’s headquarters in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, which was allegedly sold for R10m less than its market value.

Suspended Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has been accused by some of the trade union federation’s affiliates of mishandling the deal.

Eyewitness News reported that Moepi was also handling investigations for Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.

Speaking at a conference on governance on Monday, Madonsela said Moepi was working as an external auditor for her office and had finalised at least one case while working on several other cases.

Dlamini said he could not comment on the possibility that Moepi was shot because of an investigation he was involved in.

“I can’t comment on that, you must phone his company.”

– SAPA

The Moral Regeneration Unit in the Office of the Premier for the North West Province in partnership with the Provincial Chapter of the National Interfaith Council of South Africa (NICSA) is hosting a religious summit that is scheduled to commence in Rustenburg

 as from Wednesday.“The summit will afford the religious fraternity in the Province an opportunity to make contribution that will provide impetus for the finalisation of the Provincial Social Cohesion strategy,” said Premier Thandi Modise who is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Summit.

The summit to be held under the theme “Creating a caring society,” is a follow-up to the Provincial Social Cohesion and Moral Regeneration Summit which was held in Mmabatho in July.

The forthcoming summit aims to create, among others, a platform for different stakeholders in the province to engage on issues of importance to social cohesion and moral regeneration and to nation building, good moral and ethics and national identity as a condition for a better life for all.

Members of the media are invited to cover the event which is scheduled to be held on the 23-24 October 2013 at the Rustenburg Kloof as from 8 am.

Jomo Sono is combining his football interests with the fight against rhino poaching in a novel way.

The Jomo Cosmos owner is partnering with Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife to stage a soccer tournament, the Ezemvelo Cup, in Richards Bay on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast.  

The aim is to raise awareness of rhino poaching through sport.

Sono attended the tournament in Richards Bay on Saturday.

He says he promised Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife CEO Bandile Mkhize that the winner of the Ezemvelo Cup will have the honour of playing against Jomo Cosmos.

Sono says Mkhize inspired the whole idea in a conversation they had.

“While we were having coffee he started talking to me about his campaign of saving rhinos but also using sport as part of it so I was very impressed so I decided to sponsor the event and also it gives me an opportunity to scout on players because some of the players in the rural areas never got the opportunity to be spotted by some of the talent scouts so that’s how I got involved,” Sono said.

For more http://www.sabc.co.za

By Obakeng Maje

Mothibistad-Police have arrested two male suspects aged 30 and 33, at Kuruman in Camden village, for the murder and kidnapping of a foreign national business man. 

Last week Friday,the deceased was reported kidnapped, not knowing that his lifeless body will be found in a pit.

The police launched an investigation in the search of the businessman, subsequent to the report. 

“During the investigation the police followed the information, which led to the arrest of the suspects. The suspects were arrested on Saturday in Bushbuck village in Camden just outside Kuruman” lieutenant Olebogeng Tawana said.

After their arrest, they led the Mothibistad SAPS investigating team to a waterless pit, in the village of Bushbuck, in Camden where the body of the foreign business man was stuffed.

When the investigating team arrived at the crime scene, the body of the victim was retrieved. 

“The body was almost at a decomposing stage. The preliminary investigation reveals that the victim could have been strangulated, because socks was found tangled on his neck and his head covered with plastic bag” Tawana said. 

Police said he was pelted with stones after he was thrown into a pit, and covered with tree branches.

The suspects are due to appear before the Mothibistad Magistrate’s Court on Monday.-TDN

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By Obakeng Maje

Marikana-Police are investigating a case of murder after the arrest of a 27 year-old suspect.

According to information the deceased and the suspect were at group 5 section in Marikana on Friday.

Colonel Emelda Setlhako said the argument allegedly ensued between two men over a bottle of beer. 

“The suspect allegedly stabbed the deceased in his chest and died on the scene” colonel Emelda Setlhako. 

Police Investigation continues.-TDN

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SAFA President, Dr Danny Jordaan has been invited to address a Sports Summit organised by the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).The two-day summit will be held from 21 -22 October 2013 in the Grand Cayman Islands in the Caribbean under the heading “Transformation through Partnership”.

By Obakeng Maje

Letlhabile-A 30 year old man was allegedly arrested by Letlhabile Police. 

Police said the victim and the suspect were allegedly at the tavern drinking beers when an argument ensued between them. 

“It is alleged that the victim left the tavern and the suspect followed him and stabbed him twice in the chest and neck” colonel Emelda Setlhako said.

The paramedics were contacted and the victim was certified dead on the scene. 

The suspect was later arrested and police investigation continues.-TDN

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